Mandolin.



1". KORDIGK.

MANDOLIN.

APPLICATION FILED O0T.16, 1911.

Patented June 3, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK KORDIOK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 REGAL MUSICALINSTRUMENT I 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CGRIQRATION OF ILLINOIS.

MANDOLIN.

Application filed October 16, 1911.

T 0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FRANK KonDIoK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and use ful Improvements in Mandolins, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to mandolins and aims to provide an instrumentwhich will be simple in construction, cheap to manufacture and whichwill have a sweet and pleasing tone.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the followingdescription when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingsillustrating one preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawingsFigure 1 illustrates a top view of aninstrument embodying my invention, a portion being broken away to showthe interior construction thereof. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionalview taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Mandolins as ordinarily constructed comprise an end block to which theneck is secured by dove-tailing or other means of fastoning and a bodyconsisting of a top piece and a series of narrow strips forming thebowl. The end block is customarily shaped to conform to the curvature ofthe bowl and serves as a point of attachment for one end of all thenarrow bowl strips while the other ends are secured to a block at theother end of the bowl. A large amount of labor and considerable expenseis necessary in the manufacture of mandolins as ordinarily constructedsince each of the body strips must be made to accurately fit with itsadjacent strips and must be secured at both ends to the blocks.Furthermore, the neck, which is made independent from the end block,must be fitted into the block with great accuracy in order that thestrings may lie in proper position upon the finger board.

My present invention greatly reduces the labor and expense ofmanufacturing by making the end block integral with the neck and formingthe back of the body of a single piece of material instead of a greatnumber of narrow strips such as has heretofore been employed.

From the drawings it will be observed that the neck 5 is widened at itsbase to pro- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3,1913.

Serial No. 654,880.

vide an end block 6 which is integral with the neck. This constructioneliminates the necessity of fitting the neck to the end block,

insures rigidity of the neck and obviates any possibility of the neckbecoming displaced so as to interfere with the proper position of thestrings. The front and rear faces of the end block are made flat as willbe evident from Fig. 2 and the projecting ends of the block are shapedto conform to the required curvature of the sides of the body. The sidesare formed from one or more thin pieces 7 which are curved as shown inFig. 1. If one piece is used for both sides it may be bent into therequired form and both ends may be secured to the ends of the block.This is the preferred construction, but if two pieces are employed theymay be joined at the rear beneath the tail piece in any well knownmanner. The top 8 is secured upon the front face of the end block andaround its perimeter to the upper edge of the side pieces 7. In order toprevent splitting of the top a oleat 9 is preferably secured to theinner side thereof back of the sound hole 10. The back of the body isformed from a sin gle piece 11 similar in shape and contour to the frontpiece 8. The back is likewise strengthened and prevented from splittingby a rib or cleat 12 secured upon its inner face. After the side 7 andthe front and back 8 and 11 have been secured to the end block 6 thefinger board 13 equipped with the usual frets 14: is secured upon thefront face of the neck. The top piece 8 is cut away or provided with anelongated slot over the end block 6 which extends back to the sound hole10 to permit the finger board to set down substantially flush with theface of the top piece and to be fixedly secured to the neck and endblock. The tail piece 15, bridge 16 and strings 17 are assembled in theusual manner and any well known or preferred type of keys 18 may beemployed for imparting the required tension to the strings.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a mandolinwhich will be simple in construction, exceedingly cheap to manufactureand very rigid and durable. No labor is required in fitting the neck tothe end block nor is it necessary to form and fit a great number ofnarrow strips to form the body of the instrument nor to curve the stripsand provide corresponding curved :nrfaces upon the end block to whichthe ends 01 the strips may be secured,

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention it will bemanifest that various minor mechanical changes in the construction andproportions of the various parts may be resorted to Without departingfrom the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the materialadvantages thereof.

I claim:

A mandolin comprising a neck formed to provide an integral end blockhaving flat front and back faces, side pieces secured to v the ends ofsaid block, front and back faces secured to the front and back faces ofsaid end block, the front piece being cut away to form a slotterminating in a sound hole, and t finger board secured to the frontface of said neck and disposed in said slot in the front piece, the endof said finger board terminating at the sound hole and forming a part ofthe perimeter thereof.

FRANK KORDICK.

Witnesses IRA J. WILSON, HENRY M. I'IUXLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eachJby addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

